Splatter
/ˈsplæt.ər/noun
To scatter or spatter in drops or particles; also, a noisy scattering or splash of liquid.
Did you know?Splatter is an expressive English formation, closely tied to spatter and splash, showing how English can invent words by imitating the violent sound of liquid hitting a surface.
Etymological Timeline
Modern English
English
splatter
“To scatter or splash in drops; to make a messy scattering sound.”
17th–18th Century
English
spatter
“To scatter drops or particles; to splash mud or liquid about.”
Middle English
English
spatten
“To splash or splash about, especially with mud or water.”
Old English
OE
spætan
“To spit, splash, or eject in drops.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sput- / *spet-
“An imitative base connected with spitting or ejecting liquid.”